Tag Archives: Thunder

No sooner did the Oklahoma City Thunder bounce the Los Angeles Lakers out of the second round of the NBA playoffs for the second year in a row then the trade rumors started.

It seemed that everyone, and I mean everyone, was not pleased with Andrew Bynum’s lackluster performance in Game 5. And if his four rebound effort didn’t make them angry his “I’ll play anywhere,” locker room comment after the game sure did.

Of course, everyone wants to trade Bynum for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. I’m here to tell you that is not going to happen. Dwight Howard does not want to play for the Lakers. I spent the better part of last night trying to explain that to all the broken hearted Lakers fans on Twitter, but they just wouldn’t listen.

Howard has made it pretty clear that he does not want to play with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. In fact, the only reason he signed on for another year with the Magic is because they threatened him with a trade to the Lakers. It was reported after this season’s trade deadline that the trade was agreed to between the two teams.

And why would you want to trade Andrew Bynum anyway? I know he can be a bit immature and stubborn at times but his upside is so great you would be a fool to trade him. The only center who might be better than him is Howard and he’s not coming. So what are your choices? Tyson Chandler? Joakim Noah? Al Jefferson? None of those guys are even close to Bynum’s skill level.

Not only is Bynum going to stay, I think you will see the Lakers build a team around him. Kobe is on his way out. He has maybe two or three seasons left in him. And those aren’t going to be high level seasons.

With the Lakers dismantling of the Clippers tonight they have won three games in a row since the All+Star break. And this is a good thing.

Since the break the Lakers have logged wins against the Hawks, the TrailBlazer and now the Clippers.

The real test is coming this Sunday when they take on the new look OKC Thunder.

The Thunder recently acquired Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson from the Boston Celtics and now seem to match up better against the Lakers.

I have many conspiracy theories as to why the Celtics would make this trade. The best one is that the Celtics wanted to make the Thunder better so they can beat the Lakers and the Celtics would face another team in the Finals.

The only problem with that theory is the trading away Perkins and Robinson does not make the Celtics better. In fact, I think it hurts them. I makes them more vulnerable to the Miami Heat and even the Orlando Magic and possibly the Chicago Bulls. I still don’t think the New York Knicks are a threat to anybody in the East even if they have Carmelo Anthony. He is not a championship-type player.

This Sunday is going to be a test for the Lakers. Everyone is talking about how much better the Thunder are now.

Even Magic Johnson Tweeted that the West is now a four team race with the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks and now the Thunder.

So the Lakers can make a statement by beating the Thunder on Sunday.

And that statement would be: “We’re still the team to beat.”

No matter what trades have happened (and the Lakers didn’t make any) they are still the back-to-back Champions.